Harold F. O'Neil

Classification of learning outcomes: evidence from the computer games literature

Following up on an earlier issue of The Curriculum Journal (Vol. 16, No. 1), this article focuses on learning outcomes in the context of video games. Learning outcomes are viewed from two theoretical frameworks: Kirkpatricks levels of evaluation and the CRESST model of learning. These are used to analyse the outcomes claimed in journal articles that report empirical work, indicating the usefulness of the frameworks, and the necessity to consider the role of affective learning. The article ends with some comments on the relationship of instructional design to effective games and learning outcomes.

Self‐regulation, goal orientation, self‐efficacy, worry, and high‐stakes math achievement for mathematically gifted high school students 1 , 2

Our study used a structural equation modeling framework to investigate the effects of gender, self‐efficacy, learning goal orientation, self‐regulation, and worry on high‐stakes mathematics achievement in a sample of mathematically gifted, primarily Asian American, high school students. It is one of the few studies that investigated the joint effect of such variables in a high‐stakes environment (i.e., an Advanced Placement calculus exam). Our analyses showed that self‐efficacy is positively related to math achievement, is moderately and positively related to self‐regulation, and is highly and negatively related to worry, and that learning goal orientation (or intrinsic value) is positively related to self‐regulation and worry but is not related to self‐efficacy or high‐stakes mathematics achievement. With respect to gender, young men were less worried and had higher self‐efficacy for math than young women. Finally, self‐regulation was negatively related to worry, but surprisingly, was not related to high...

Workforce readiness : competencies and assessment

Given the changes in the workplace over the last decade due in large part to the increase in technology and the rise of globalisation, the author suggests that there is a potential skill gap for the high-skill, high-wage, high-productivity jobs. This book explores the specification of both individual and team competencies and skills and their assessment for students entering the world of work from both high school and college. It focuses on contexts in training as well as education and on entry level positions.

The use of computer-based collaborative knowledge mapping to measure team processes and team outcomes

In this study we examined the feasibility and validity of using a computer-based, networked collaborative knowledge mapping system to measure teamwork skills. Student groups were assessed with our system twice in the same academic year, once in the fall and once in the following spring. Our study focused on the nature of the interaction between team members as they jointly constructed a knowledge map. Each student was randomly assigned to a team and communicated (anonymously) with other members by sending pre-defined messages. Teamwork processes were measured by examining message usage. Each message was categorized as belonging to one of six team processes: (a) adaptability, (b) communication, (c) coordination, (d) decision-making, (e) interpersonal, and (f) leadership. Team performance was measured by scoring each team’s knowledge map using four expert maps as the criterion. No significant correlation was found between the team processes and team outcomes. This unexpected finding may be due in part to a split-attention effect resulting from the design of the user interface. However, student teams were able to successfully construct knowledge maps, suggesting that our general approach to using networked computers to measure group processes remain viable given existing alternatives.

Instructional strategies to help learners build relevant mental models in inferential statistics.

A mental model analysis was conducted with experts and intermediates in the domain of statistical hypothesis testing to determine the nature of relevant mental models that can be taught to novices. Two instructional strategies were investigated: a presentation sequence (separate vs. combined) and a presentation mode (diagrammatic vs. descriptive). Protocol analysis on the posttest revealed that students (i.e., novices) who received either the separate or the diagrammatic presentation strategy performed better and developed fewer misconceptions than those who received either the combined or the descriptive presentation strategy

Issues in the Computer-based Assessment of Collaborative Problem Solving

Abstract Collaborative problem solving skills are considered necessary skills for success in todays world of work and school. Collaborative learning refers to learning environments in which small groups of people work together to achieve a common goal, and problem solving is using cognitive processing to find a solution to a problem. Thus, collaborative problem solving is defined as problem solving activities that involve interactions among a group of individuals. This paper will address several key issues (e.g. theory and measurement of collaborative problem solving and issues in measuring problem solving processes). We rely on computerisation of the administration, scoring and reporting of collaborative problem solving skills, thus potentially increasing reliability and validity.

Perspectives on computer-based performance assessment of problem solving

Abstract The purpose of this introduction is to provide a brief overview of the articles in this special issue and also a conceptual framework for the assessment of problem solving using computer-based techniques. The issue is focused on computer-based performance assessment of problem solving. Thus, assessments that use a multiple-choice format or that do not use a computer for either the administration, scoring or reporting of assessments are generally excluded. These assessments ask students to demonstrate and document their deep understanding of subject matter and their ability to solve complex problems and to work in groups or teams. In this introduction, we will review several theoretical frameworks of problem solving, recommend a definition of the construct, and suggest ways of measuring the construct. The special issue is subdivided in two parts—Issue 1: Theoretical Issues and Methodological Approaches, and Issue 2: Specific Research Applications. In general, Issue 1 is meant to be a broad overview of theory and methodology in the area of computer-based performance assessment of problem solving. Issue 2 is meant to be a more narrow, in-depth description of specific studies in the area of computer-based performance assessment of problem solving.

Effect of Type of Practice in a Computer-Aided Design Environment in Visualizing Three-Dimensional Objects From Two-Dimensional Orthographic Projections

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of practice in manipulating 2- and 3-dimensional (D) wireframe images on a learners ability to visualize 3-D objects. Practice, either rotational or not, consisted of visualizing 2- and 3-D objects generated by personal computer (PC)-based computer-assisted design software. Results indicated that participants in the rotation treatment group performed significantly better than those in either the nonrotation or control group on measures of spatial ability and 3-D visualization ability. Both treatment groups performed significantly better than the control group on measures of metacognition, effort, and worry. These results support a conclusion that spatial ability can be improved through practice that allows the learner to see the relationship between the 2-D and 3-D features of objects.

Effects of expertise on state self-efficacy and state worry during a computer-based certification test☆

This study investigated the relationship betweeen expertise, state self-efficacy, and state worry during the administration of a computerized job-related certification test. A certification test was created using multiple-choice formatted question items, evaluated using standard psychometric techniques, and administered through a computer-assisted testing system. A questionnaire survey instrument was administered to individuals who had just finished the certification test and who were willing to self-report how they felt during the administration of the certification test. The questionnaire survey contained two scales, state self-efficacy and state worry. Test participants who took the certification test and were classified as masters (experts) demonstrated both significantly higher levels of state self-efficacy and less state worry than those participants who took the same test and were classified as nonmasters. The results of this study were consistent with both the stated hypotheses and research literature.

Activities and Accomplishments in Various Domains: Relationships With Creative Personality and Creative Motivation in Adolescence

This study examined relationships between five personal traits and adolescents’ creative activities and accomplishments in five domains—music, visual arts, creative writing, science, and technology. Participants were 439 tenth graders (220 males and 219 females) in China. The relationships were examined using confirmatory factor analysis. Openness to experience was related to activities in music, visual arts, and creative writing but not to science and technology. Creative self-efficacy was related to all but technology-related activities. Intrinsic motivation was related to visual arts and science creative activities. Conscientiousness and perceived intellectual ability were not associated with creative activities in any domain. Finally, none of the personality or motivational attributes were related to creative activities in the technology domain. Personal traits appear to introduce some variability in the developmental trajectory of potential talents in various domains.